Winter kills at least 9 nine homeless in Germany

At least nine homeless people have died since October in Germany due to low temperature, says figures compiled by an NGO.

According to the German body that tracks homelessness (BAGW), four of the deaths were reported in the port city of Hamburg, two in Düsseldorf and one each in Cologne, Essen and Lauchhammer.

The group, which compiled such deaths based on media reports, says that several such deaths go unreported.

“We know of nine people who died at night for no fault of their own,” Werena Rosenke, the association’s managing director told the newspaper Rheinische Post. “In some cases, forensic medical examinations are still ongoing, but we assume that the victims had no dwelling and froze to death due to low temperatures.”

The same period last year had witnessed three deaths.

BAGW says there may be a million homeless people across the country. Last year the figure was 860,000, including 52,000 people who live on the streets.